


Under Water

by silver_etoile



Category: SKAM (Netherlands), WTFock | Skam (Belgium)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Kiss, M/M, Summer Vacation, van der stoffels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 16:26:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21974704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_etoile/pseuds/silver_etoile
Summary: A summer trip to the lake is more than Jens bargains for with a cute boy next door.
Relationships: Jens Stoffels/Lucas van der Heijden
Comments: 8
Kudos: 269





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr.](http://azozzoni.tumblr.com)

When Jens had agreed to come to the lake, a lake all the way in the Netherlands for God’s sake—he didn’t know why they couldn’t just go to the beach, but apparently Sander’s aunt had a lake house that she never used—when Jens had agreed to this, he’d been pretty sure it would just be a week of drinking with the boys, getting tan on the beach, avoiding looking at Sander’s abs because since when did he care about guys’ abs, skinny dipping at midnight, and rolling his eyes every time he walked in on Robbe and Sander making out in the kitchen.

He hadn’t expected there to be someone staying in the house next door, a couple someones, but Jens was really only interested in the pale, skinny guy who he’d caught eyeing him a few times when they were both on the shore.

His name was Lucas, the guy with curls that fell in front of his eyes and wore bright floral shirts halfway unbuttoned down his chest. Where Sander was nice to look at, Jens had admitted to himself, Lucas did something completely different to his stomach when his eyes followed the line of his collar down his torso.

Jens had managed to talk to Lucas a few times, caught him and his friend coming out of the house one night and invited them both over for drinks around a bonfire they’d made in the backyard. As the flames flickered over Lucas’ face, Lucas’ careful smile, Jens could only lick his lips and try to keep up the conversation with the other boys, if only to stop himself from thinking of what he and Lucas could do if they were alone.

Lucas never said anything about the way Jens watched him, only laughed around his beer, offered a snarky remark to something his friend said about the last time they’d come to the lake.

“You guys come here a lot?” Jens heard himself ask, ask only Lucas, not everyone else in the circle.

Lucas’ eyes slid to him, leaning over to hear Jens better, and his shirt gaped open slightly. Jens very carefully did not let his gaze slide to Lucas’ chest.

“Not for a while,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s been a long year.”

“Tell me about it,” Jens replied, glancing at the rest of the boys. His eyes fell on Robbe sitting in Sander’s lap, Sander’s chin tucked over his shoulder. When he looked back at Lucas, he found him watching Robbe and Sander the same, a slight frown there.

Jens talked to Lucas more after that night, spent one night staying up until three AM on the porch, just the two of them, passing a joint back and forth, talking about nothing important. When Lucas had finally gone back to his house, Jens could have sworn he hesitated a little, smiled back at him before he turned.

Jens invited him swimming the next day, after a few fitful hours of sleep, had to stop himself from staring at Lucas soaking wet, water dripping down his collar bone as he came out of the lake.

“Are you okay?” Robbe asked when Jens shook his head sharply, as if to rid himself of any strange thoughts taking shape there.

“It’s hot,” was all Jens said as he rose from the low-slung chair, peeling off his shirt and tossing it behind him. “I’m gonna go in.”

“Okay,” Robbe said simply.

“Nice shorts,” Lucas said as Jens waded into the water. The rest of the guys were back on the shore, drinking beer or asleep, skin getting redder by the minute.

“Same,” he said, nodding at Lucas’ swimming trunks covered in little blue whales.

Lucas’ grin tripped something in Jens’ chest, hot and wanting and confused.

“There’s a little cove around the corner,” Lucas said. “Kes and I used to go there and hide when we were little.”

“You sure it’s still there?” Jens asked, and he didn’t check back to see if anyone was watching him. There was no reason for anyone to be.

A second passed before Lucas nodded, meeting Jens’ gaze, chewing on his bottom lip as though maybe he was nervous. “Let’s go see.”

Jens didn’t second-guess why he was so willing to follow Lucas, to glide into the water and swim with him out of sight of the boys, around a corner to a grassy knoll, the shore rising up in a steep wall to form a small cove. Lake weeds lapped up against the edge of the cove, and Lucas grabbed on a tree branch protruding into the water.

Swimming over, Jens grabbed on too. The water was unusually deep for being near the shore here. Sunlight filtered through the tall grass on the ledge, sparkling off the water, and Jens felt something deep clench in his stomach as he watched Lucas glance around, as though remembering something.

“Kes and I used to come here all the time,” he said after a minute, glancing back at Jens. “Things were so much easier then.”

Jens smiled, water lapping up against his bare chest. The lake wasn’t exactly warm, but compared to the heat of the sun, it was refreshing. It was nice to be here, with Lucas, alone in the little shady cove, close enough to see just how blue Lucas’ eyes really were, to count the moles on his skin, memorize the shape of his ears, red at the tips as if sunburned. Lucas’ hair was drying already, curls messy and out of place.

“What changed?” he asked, and Lucas swished a hand through the water, gentle, careful.

“Nothing,” he said slowly. “Everything.” He shrugged, glancing up at Jens. “We used to have competitions, see who could hold their breath the longest.”

“I bet you always won,” Jens said, and Lucas smiled.

“Of course I did.”

For a second, Jens just watched Lucas. He couldn't stop his gaze from traveling down his long neck, to the water lapping at the dip above his collar bone, how the water distorted the rest of his chest, vanishing into darkness. Jens had never really thought about this, about what he might do if he found himself alone with a guy like Lucas.

He wasn’t even sure what made Lucas different from every other guy he’d ever met. It couldn’t just be the way he smiled at Jens, teased his friends so easily, met Jens’ eyes across the porch, fingers brushing as they passed the joint back and forth. It was something else that Jens couldn’t explain, an entirely new feeling as they held onto the branch, less than a foot from each other, the only sounds the chirping of birds in the trees, wind rustling the leaves, water lapping at the shore.

“I bet I can beat you,” he said finally, and Lucas’ eyebrow shot up.

“You’re confident.”

“I never lose,” Jens lied, grinning at Lucas, who laughed.

“We’ll see,” he said, pushing away from the branch and treading water. “On three. One, two, three!”

The water was cold as Jens plunged down, murky when he forced his eyes open. Lucas was across from him, mouth shut tightly, hair floating in the water.

It might have been an eternity or maybe it was only fifteen seconds as Jens watched Lucas, fifteen seconds before he swam forward and pressed his lips to Lucas’.

He wasn’t sure what possessed him to do it, as though they were safe under water somehow, as if when they surfaced, they could choose to ignore it. Lucas could choose to ignore it and Jens could somehow convince himself that it had something to do with the water and the lake and the fact that he hadn’t hooked up with a girl all summer. Then he wouldn’t have to think about the fact that he apparently found guys just as attractive as girls, or at least, found Lucas as attractive. Had the same reaction when faced with his bare skin as he had Jana way back when.

Lucas didn’t reel away when Jens kissed him, maybe even kissed back but it was hard to tell in the water, stayed under water for a second longer before pushing away, resurfacing, and Jens followed.

Panting, water dripping down his face, Jens kept his gaze on Lucas. He could make a joke here, easily sweep it away, but he didn’t want to when Lucas smiled.

“Guess you won,” he said simply, and Jens’ heart beat faster as Lucas came closer.

“Told you.” He hoped it sounded a lot more confident than he felt, taking a breath as Lucas swallowed.

“But you definitely cheated,” Lucas said, watching a drip of water slide down Jens’ shoulder.

“Cheated?” Jens repeated, opening his mouth to argue, but he didn’t get it out when Lucas kissed him this time, lips warm and soft, and he forgot about anything he was going to say. He forgot about everything with Lucas all around him, arms twined around his neck, bare chest pressed to his, tongue sliding in his mouth.

Fuck, this was what he’d been wanting all week, since he’d first caught sight of Lucas lounging around in the chairs behind his house, preppy sunglasses perched on top of his head, sunlight gleaming off his skin.

It was the first guy Jens had ever kissed, the first guy he’d ever had pressed against him like this, and he wanted more. He wanted his hands in Lucas’ hair, chasing his tongue, mouthing kisses along his jaw until Lucas whined for more. He’d never wanted that before.

Lucas’ lips were red when they finally broke apart, a distance voice shouting something Jens couldn’t quite make out through the haze of desire as Lucas slid back in the water.

“I think the guys are looking for us,” he said, and Jens frowned as he heard what might have been his name.

“Hey,” he said as Lucas moved further away. “What are you doing tonight?”

Lucas smiled after a second, almost shy. “I don’t know.”

Jens hesitated. “The guys were going to go into town for drinks. I could tell them I’ve got a headache and stay here.”

It was a second before Lucas’ smile widened and he came back to Jens, leaning in to press a soft, slow kiss to his mouth that made it all the more harder for Jens to consider leaving this place.

“Then I’ll see you tonight,” Lucas said, even though his cheeks were pink, unable to hide his grin as he pushed away from Jens and swam off toward the shore. Jens let him go ahead, taking a breath and biting down his grin. This definitely hadn’t been what he’d expected from a week at the lake, but he would take it, whatever it was.


	2. Chapter 2

Stars winked down at them, moonlight gilding over the sand as Jens turned on his side to gaze at Lucas beside him on the blanket he had pulled off the bed as a last-minute thought.

“This is pretty good stuff,” Lucas said, handing over the joint, their fingers brushing together as Jens took what was left. “For being from _Belgium_.”

Laughing, Jens took a long drag, smoke filling his lungs, calming any nerves he might have had at being out here, ditching his friends to lay on the beach, star-gazing and watching the way Lucas’ whole face lit up when he smiled.

“I didn’t see you offering,” he said, raising his eyebrows as Lucas licked his lips, meeting his gaze across the blanket.

The boys were in town, probably getting drunk and hitting on unsuspecting girls. Jens didn’t know where Lucas’ friends were, but they weren’t out there on the beach, a buzz on his skin that made him want to edge closer to Lucas, breathe smoke into his mouth, watch his eyes go dark.

“Kes keeps all the weed,” Lucas replied easily, head rolling lazily to the side. He smiled at Jens, though, finger tracing up Jens’ forearm. Jens didn’t shiver, though the hairs on his arm stood up in Lucas’ wake.

Jens didn’t know how long they’d been out there, a cool breeze coming off the lake, no longer warm now that the sun had gone down. The sky was dark with no city lights to obscure the stars. Jens’ eyes had long adjusted and he could see the way Lucas sighed.

“Well, I’ve got plenty,” Jens said, snuffing out what was left in the sand and turning back to Lucas. Lucas lay on his back, a hand behind his head, but his eyes swept to Jens’ as Jens hovered slightly.

It was Lucas’ smile that made Jens move, lean in to press their mouths together.

It couldn’t have been just this afternoon that Jens had kissed Lucas for the first time, since he’d kissed a guy for the first time. It couldn’t have been just this afternoon that Jens had first felt that flutter of excitement when Lucas kissed him back, lips soft and gentle, like he’d be content to do this all night. Jens thought he might.

His fingers came up to Lucas’ cheek, stroking down to his jaw, cupping his face as their lips met, a soft slide of tongues, a moment when Lucas’ teeth closed over his bottom lip and tugged.

Lucas’ eyes were closed when Jens pulled away, taking a moment to watch him, feel the unfamiliar tug at his heart, something he hadn’t felt since Jana.

“Cold?” Jens asked when Lucas shivered, opening his eyes finally, but he shook his head.

“I’m good,” he said, and Jens settled in next to him, turning to gaze up at the stars. They were good.

*

“You’re telling me you’ve never seen Moulin Rouge?” Lucas asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief. He propped himself up on his elbow to look down at Jens lying on the blanket.

Jens shrugged, amused at how indignant Lucas sounded, as though it was simply a crime. “Why would I? It’s old, it’s a musical, and it’s some sappy romance.”

“Sappy romance isn’t your thing, huh?” Lucas teased, licking his lips temptingly, and it took all of Jens self-control not to pull Lucas onto his chest, get his hands in his curls and kiss him. It wouldn’t be a bad thing. After all, who knew how many more nights they would get like this before they had to go back to real life.

Jens wasn’t thinking about that, shaking his head at Lucas.

“I prefer straight-forward shit. Just saying how you feel.”

Lucas didn’t reply for a minute, contemplating Jens’ words.

“So how you do feel?”

Rolling his eyes, Jens reached for Lucas, shoving him onto his back and rolling on top of him, straddling his hips, holding him down by his wrists. As if Lucas was going anywhere. Jens watched the way Lucas’ eyes traveled down his chest and back up.

“I feel like making out,” he said, smirking down at Lucas’ unimpressed expression.

“Nice trick,” Lucas said, but Jens noticed he didn’t disagree, so he kissed him anyway, smiling when Lucas’ hands came up to his neck and they melted into each other instead.

*

Lucas’ arm was warm pressed to his, the back of their fingers touching, brushing together, not quite holding on. Jens sighed, blinking slowly at the stars above. Shifting, he tugged his hood over his head, adding a little extra cushion to the sand beneath them.

“How far is Utrecht from here?” he asked, pressing his fingers against Lucas’. It was a strange feeling, wanting to touch him for no reason except to feel the tingle on his skin. Jens hadn’t felt that in a long time.

“About an hour,” Lucas replied softly. He wasn’t looking at Jens, gazing up at the sky.

“How come you haven’t come here for a while?” Jens remembered Lucas saying it, across the fire that night, but he hadn’t elaborated then. Jens hadn’t cared to ask then.

Lucas shook his head. “There was just this whole thing with Kes and his ex-girlfriend, and my mom had some problems, and… Just everything, I guess.”

Jens nodded, though he didn’t understand. He’d had plenty of his own problems over the last few years, between Jana and Britt and Robbe coming out. It had been a long few years.

“Are things better now?”

He felt Lucas’ fingers press to his, twining together this time, and Jens held on as the tingle spread up through his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time a simple touch had made him feel this way. Usually, it was making out with girls at parties, going down on them and forgetting their names immediately afterward. But this, this was different. Jens was not going to forget Lucas’ name. He didn’t think he’d ever forget tonight.

“They’re better now,” Lucas said, and Jens glanced over to find Lucas smiling at him. Smiling back, he just let Lucas’ fingers hook onto his and hold on.

*

“Do your friends know?”

Jens opened his eyes slowly, watching a star shoot across the sky. At Lucas’ question, he paused. “I’m not sure I even know.”

He hadn’t really thought about it too much, if he liked guys, that he still liked girls, what it was all supposed to mean. When he’d first seen Lucas, it hadn’t been like a punch to the gut. Instead, it had sort of crept up on him, all culminating in today somehow.

When Lucas didn’t respond, Jens glanced over to find him staring up at the sky.

“What about your friends?”

Lucas shook his head. “I haven’t told anyone.” He paused, watching Jens. “Why don’t you know?”

Jens smiled, brief. “I mean, I kissed a guy for the first time today. Am I supposed to know?”

As he watched, Lucas licked his lips. “I guess not.”

That hadn’t been the right answer, Jens thought as Lucas turned his head back to look up at the moon overhead.

“I can say one thing,” Jens said after a long minute of silence broken only by rustling leaves and insects chirping in the grass. “I’ve never wanted to kiss a guy until you came along.”

That seemed to break through whatever Lucas was thinking, and he saw Lucas’ mouth quirk.

“Yeah?”

“Mhm,” Jens hummed, rolling onto his stomach so he could perch on Lucas’ chest. It was comfortable here, letting his fingers drift over Lucas’ neck, feeling the warmth of his skin, his heartbeat against his own. “I’ve seen hot guys, thought about it, but I never saw anyone that made me want to act on it.”

Lucas met his gaze, mouth quirked to the side as though he didn’t quite believe him, but he nudged Jens closer anyway.

“What made you change your mind with me?”

Jens paused, brushing aside Lucas’ hair, tracing lines between the moles on Lucas’ face instead. “I don’t know,” he admitted after a minute. “I thought, if I don’t try, I may never get another chance.”

Lucas smiled this time, easy, soft. It did weird things to Jens’ chest, and he hated the idea that in the morning, they had to go back to pretending they were just friends, just two people who happened to meet on vacation.

“I’ll tell the guys if you want,” he said, pressing a kiss to the corner of Lucas’ mouth.

“What would you tell them?”

Jens had no idea. “That I like you. That we spent all night making out on the beach.” He smiled, leaning in to kiss the mole above Lucas’ upper lip. He felt Lucas react, tilting his chin up. “That I’m going to get your number and when we go back to Belgium, I’m going to text you all the time.”

Lucas kissed him this time, pressing up against him, a hand in his hair as he exhaled slowly.

“You don’t have to tell them if you don’t want to,” Lucas said when they parted. “I’m fine keeping you all to myself.”

Jens smiled, settling on his side, an arm around Lucas as Lucas curled into him. He didn’t know what he was going to do, if he was going to tell the guys or if he was going to keep this secret happiness a little longer.

“We’ll figure it out,” he said finally, breathing in Lucas’ scent and closing his eyes. They had plenty of time to figure out what to do next. For now, Jens was content to stay in this moment and never leave.


	3. Chapter 3

Gazing out at the lake, sunlight glistening off the surface, Jens sighed. He’d followed Lucas out here, hadn’t even complained when Lucas had snuck into their cabin, practically dragged Jens out of bed, careful not to wake the guys.

Jens couldn’t remember the last time he’d watched the sun rise, if he ever had, but standing on the hill with Lucas beside him, he wished it could always be like this.

They were leaving tomorrow, Jens and the boys, heading back to Antwerp and school and all the responsibilities of life Jens was happy to avoid here, with Lucas. He smiled slightly as he glanced at Lucas beside him, a light breeze ruffling the curls poking out from under his hoodie.

“I don’t want to go,” Jens said, breaking the silence, and Lucas blinked out at the water. “I want to stay here forever.”

The corner of Lucas’ mouth quirked in a smile, and Jens wanted to pull Lucas to him, keep him warm in his arms. And it was a feeling Jens hadn’t had in a long time, not since Jana.

“It would be so much easier if we could,” Lucas said finally, glancing at Jens.

For a second, Jens didn’t reply, watching the way Lucas tucked his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t sure what there was to say.

“I’m gonna tell the guys,” he said at length, watching the way Lucas’ gaze dropped. “About me.”

He’d already said he would, but somehow, he hadn’t found the time, or maybe the courage, to tell the guys about this newfound discovery.

“And about me?” Lucas asked, lifting his eyes finally to Jens’.

“Not if you don’t want me to,” he said, taking Lucas’ face in his hands. His cheeks were pink from the early morning chill, making his eyes seem even more blue somehow.

Lucas opened his mouth but he seemed to hesitate to say what he was thinking. “I don’t know,” he said eventually, and Jens nodded slowly.

The past two weeks had flown by, it felt like, a whirlwind of feelings, falling so fast for Lucas. Jens had never done that before. There was just something about him, like a lightening bolt of realization the first moment they’d kissed, that Jens would never be able to forget him.

Instead of saying anything, he kissed Lucas, soaking in the softness of his lips, the way Lucas clung to his wrists, leaned into him, let his whole body relax as if he trusted Jens completely. It made Jens smile as he pulled away to rest his forehead against Lucas’.

“I am going to tell them,” Lucas breathed, eyes downcast. “Just not yet.”

“It’s cool,” Jens said, sliding his fingers over Lucas’ ear. After all, it had only been a few weeks, and who knew what would happen once they went their separate ways. Jens already had Lucas’ phone number, had followed his Instagram and added him on Snapchat, but that could all change once the real world set in.

He didn’t want to think about it, about tomorrow when he would have to say goodbye to Lucas.

Moving back from Lucas, he breathed in deeply, turning to the water. The sun glistened off the top, promising a beautiful day. The guys were probably waking up by now, at least Robbe, who was an early riser. Jens didn’t know if Kes or Jayden got up early, but he knew they’d wonder where Lucas was if they did.

“Should we head back?” he asked, glancing at Lucas beside him.

Lucas sighed after a second before meeting Jens’ gaze. “Give it a minute,” he said simply, and Jens nodded, taking Lucas’ hand in his. They still had a minute.

*

“Where’ve you been?” Moyo asked from his spot lounging on the couch as Jens shut the front door behind him. Robbe poked his head out from the kitchen. “Sander’s making croques.”

“Went for a walk,” he said, shrugging.

“Since when do you take walks?” Moyo scoffed, shifting his legs as Jens sunk down beside him.

“Since we’re leaving tomorrow,” he replied, though that wasn’t really an explanation.

“The Netherlands growing on you, huh?”

Jens was glad Robbe and Sander chose that moment to enter from the kitchen, carrying a plate of croques. He needed them all there for this, to just get it all out in one go.

As everyone dug into the food, Jens hesitated. It was harder than he’d expected, revealing this bit of himself. He didn’t want to leave here holding onto this secret, though. Even if Lucas wasn’t ready to come out to his friends, Jens thought he could do it with his.

“Not hungry?” Sander asked when Jens didn’t eat. Robbe’s gaze immediately shot to Jens, concerned.

“There’s something I need to tell you guys,” he said slowly, and even Moyo stopped eating, cheese dripping from his sandwich.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Sander said, trying to break the unexpected tension caused by his words.

“No,” Jens said quickly. “It’s not bad. It’s…” How had Robbe managed this? It had taken him months, years, Jens reminded himself. Jens wasn’t going to do that. “I think I’m bi.”

Moyo’s eyes widened slightly, as did Sander’s. Robbe, though, Robbe just smiled.

Letting out a breath, Jens waited for their reactions, for someone to say something.

“Cool,” Robbe said, and Jens had to laugh. He didn’t know what else someone should say. He hadn’t had much to say when Robbe told him either.

“Cool,” he mocked, tossing a pillow at Robbe.

“Is this a recent development?” Moyo asked after a minute, sounding confused.

“Not exactly,” Jens admitted, though it had certainly been recent that he’d wanted to do anything about it. Watching Moyo, he hoped they weren’t going to get another ‘Robbe coming out’ situation. Even though they’d gotten through it, Moyo and Robbe had figured shit out, Moyo had apologized for being an asshole, it had still been an ordeal.

Moyo paused. “Are you sure you’re not totally gay? ‘Cause I could use less competition.”

Jens laughed. “The ladies still love me more than you,” he said with a smirk, but he couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit relieved. He hadn’t expected them to react badly, but it had still been momentarily nerve-wracking.

Sander sat quietly in the chair across from Jens, looking thoughtful. “Did anything in particular spur this change?”

For a second, Jens wasn’t sure what Sander suspected. With all eyes on him, though, he merely shrugged.

“Just thought you guys should know.”

“I think it’s great,” Robbe said sincerely. “Now we can talk about guys!”

“Oh God,” Moyo groaned, head hitting the back of the couch as Jens shook his head, not bothering to bite back his smile. He hadn’t been worried. He just wished he could tell them about Lucas, but Lucas wasn’t ready for that, and Jens was prepared to keep Lucas’ secret as long as he needed.

*

Firelight flickered over Lucas’ face across the circle, and Jens wished he was sitting next to him, but Kes and Jayden had already been firmly ensconced in chairs by the time they’d arrived and cracked open some cold beers.

“Sucks you guys have to leave,” Kes said, and Jens couldn’t help catching Lucas’ eyes. Lucas cracked a smile, almost sad.

“Yeah,” Jayden added, taking a swig of his beer. “Too bad we can’t really go out, like to a good bar.”

The bar in town wasn’t what Jens would call ‘good’, and he smiled.

“Maybe you’ll all have to make the trip to Antwerp.”

He said it more for Lucas than anything, hoping he got the message.

“No, no, no,” Moyo said suddenly, shaking his head, slumped down in his chair, knees too close to the fire. “We’re not going to a bar just so you can prove that everyone wants you.”

“Somebody’s got a complex,” Jayden teased, and Moyo rolled his eyes.

“Jens already gets all the hot girls, and now he’s just going to rub it in our faces that guys want him too.”

Moyo might have been slightly drunk, and Jens caught the way Robbe’s eyes darted his way, worried that Moyo had just outed him to everyone. To be honest, Jens didn’t care that much what Kes and Jayden thought of his sexuality, except that Lucas’ fingers had tightened on his chair.

“Wait, you’re bi?” Jayden asked, flinching when Kes leaned over Lucas to smack his chest. “Ow!”

“That’s cool,” Kes said simply. “We don’t care.”

“I didn’t say I cared,” Jayden scoffed, rubbing his chest. “I was just wondering.”

“Yeah,” Jens said simply, watching Lucas. “I’m bi.”

“So how does that work exactly?” Jayden asked. “Like, how do you know?”

Jens shrugged. “Same way everybody else does?”

“Do you have a type?” Moyo asked loudly from beside Jens.

“I don’t—”

“Me?” Moyo asked curiously, and Jens laughed.

“Fuck no,” he said, and Moyo frowned.

“Jeez, say it faster.”

Rolling his eyes, Jens couldn’t help glancing at Lucas, who hadn’t said anything. His fingers had relaxed on the chair, and he was gazing into the flames.

“How about me?” Jayden asked eagerly, and Jens hesitated. He didn’t really have a type, unless you counted the Lucas type.

Robbe laughed into Sander’s shoulder, far too amused at the whole situation, not bothering to help Jens at all.

“I—”

“What about Lucas?” Kes suggested, grabbing Lucas’ shoulder and giving him a firm shake. Lucas’ eyes widened slightly, and Jens could swear he felt Lucas’ stab of panic.

“Yeah,” Jayden agreed, reaching for Lucas’ face, and Lucas jerked away. “Our Luc is so handsome. You’d make a beautiful couple.”

“Fuck you guys,” Lucas said, shoving Kes’ hand away, and maybe it was supposed to be joking, but it came across a little hard.

“We’re just kidding,” Jayden said easily. “You can’t help that you’re gorgeous.” He snickered as he said it, and Lucas merely frowned.

“If I had to choose, I’d pick Sander,” Jens said, hoping to draw the attention away from Lucas, even as Lucas’ eyes shot to him.

Sander looked surprised and Robbe just laughed, hugging him closer.

“My boyfriend is the hottest,” he said, and everyone else seemed to nod in agreement.

Jens wasn’t watching Sander, though, eyes on Lucas as he pushed himself out of his chair.

“I’m going to get more drinks,” he said shortly, vanishing inside.

Jens gave him a minute head start before struggling up from his chair. “I need to use the facilities,” he said vaguely, heading inside. He didn’t go for the bathroom, instead finding Lucas staring unseeingly at the open fridge.

“Sander?” Lucas asked as Jens stepped inside.

“Did you want me to say you?” he asked, stepping up behind Lucas on the pretense of looking inside the fridge. This close, he saw how Lucas sighed.

“Kind of,” he admitted, glancing over his shoulder at Jens. “But you couldn’t.”

“I don’t care who knows,” Jens said as Lucas turned to face him. “I don’t care if we never tell anyone. That’s up to you, and I’m okay with that.”

He would be okay with almost anything when it came to Lucas, so long as he got Lucas looking at him like he was right now.

“What happens after we go home?” Lucas asked instead of giving Jens an answer. “Now that you’re out and can hook up with whoever you want.”

They hadn’t really talked about it, about what they were, what they were doing, how things were going to change.

“Just because I can doesn’t mean I want to,” Jens pointed out. “Maybe there’s a certain blue-eyed boy that I’d rather hook up with instead of nameless, faceless strangers at bars just because I came out.”

“A certain guy who can’t even come out to his friends?” Lucas asked, sounding only slightly pathetic, and Jens smiled despite himself.

“You will, when you’re ready.”

Lucas sighed but he didn’t argue as Jens pulled him into a hug, breathing in the soft scent of his hair. He was going to miss this once Lucas was hours away from him.

“I like you, you know,” Jens murmured in Lucas’ ear after a second, and he felt Lucas’ grip tighten around his waist.

“I like you too.”

“We should probably get back,” he said, stepping back, dropping his hands from Lucas’ shoulders.

Lucas sighed but nodded, grabbing a fresh beer from the fridge and turning with Jens.

Back outside, they were greeted with enthusiastic yelling.

“Yes!” Jayden said, pumping his fist. “I knew it!”

“Knew what?” Jens asked as he took his seat again.

Sander rolled his eyes fondly. “Robbe said he’d hook up with Jayden.”

“Not you?” Jens asked, surprised, and Robbe frowned.

“They said I couldn’t pick him.”

Jens assumed ‘they’ were Moyo, Jayden, and Kes, who all shrugged.

“He’s already got two people who said they’d pick him, though,” Robbe said, and Jens wondered just how much he’d missed. He’d hoped they’d dropped the subject, but apparently not.

Sander had the good grace to look embarrassed. “It’s not my fault.”

“It is your fault for being so beautiful,” Robbe said, but he didn’t sound upset.

“It’s Lucas’ turn,” Kes said easily, interrupting. Lucas, who’d just taken a swig of his beer, choked slightly. “Luc, out of everyone here, who would you choose?”

Jens grimaced to himself. Lucas was going to have to pick someone, and he’d probably say Sander, just to be safe. He was surprised, then, when Lucas didn’t panic, lowering his beer slowly and meeting Jens’ eyes across the fire.

“Jens,” he said simply, seriously, and Jens tilted his head to the side, confused. Was Lucas doing what he thought he was doing? In front of everyone?

Moyo groaned and Jayden nodded thoughtfully.

“I can see it.”

“No,” Lucas said, and he swallowed. Fuck, Jens felt nervous for him as Lucas took a breath. “I already chose Jens.”

“What do you mean, already?” Jayden asked, and Kes was gazing at Lucas, as though slowly working it out.

“Oh,” Jens heard Robbe breathe beside him.

Lucas looked nervous now, tearing the label off his bottle, and Jens just wanted to cross the circle, throw a protective arm around him, but he didn’t. Lucas had to do this on his own.

“You and Jens,” Kes said after a minute, not bothering to look at Jens. His eyes widened, though, as Lucas looked away. “Shit.”

Jens jerked up as Kes rose from his chair, ready to jump in, but all Kes did was drag Lucas into a hug. Jens couldn’t see Lucas’ face, but Kes was grinning as he held Lucas at arm’s length.

“Of course you’d come out like this, you little snake,” was all he said, ruffling Lucas’ hair.

As they both sat down, Lucas grinned at Jens, and Jens felt relief flood him.

Beside Lucas, Jayden frowned. “We said no boyfriends,” he said finally, punching Lucas’ arm in a playful way. “You can’t pick Jens.”

Lucas just laughed, looking relieved at Jayden’s reaction.

“I won’t pick anyone else,” he said, and Jens laughed. He wouldn’t either.


End file.
